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Henry Hank Paulson has visited China more than 70 times, but it is his first trip to a Shanghai financial market as US Treasury Secretary. Paulson toured Shanghai Future/ Exchange Thursday, the final stop of his three-nation swing through Asia. The exchange is about to offer investors a way to make more complicated trades, a sign that markets here are advancing, exactly what Paulson thinks China needs.

I believe increasing the pace of reform in your financial services markets is in the best interest of China's future.

Since last July, Paulson has been thinking a lot about China's future as well as the future of the US. The former chief of investment bank Goldman says he has tried to improve the two countries' economic relations while coming under huge pressure from the US Congress to take action against the growing trade deficits with China.

Paulson has got a trade balance, you know, because on one hand, you wanna encourage the mainland authorities to continue these policies of gradual globalization and reform, but at the same time, you got a political agenda.

There has been increasing acrimony between the two countries, because some US politicians are blaming China for unfair trade practices. US officials in recent years have been highly critical of China's restrictive currency regime. The currency is blamed for keeping Chinese products artificially competitive. But on this trip, Paulson comes with a different softer message.

Allowing more foreign participation in China's financial markets would speed reform, as well as the stability and prosperity it will bring.

Some reforms Paulson would like to see, more open trade in stocks, bonds, and China's currency. And China looks as though it's interested in some changes.